It Happened on the Lake follows Harper, who comes back to her family’s old house on a quiet Oregon lake—where her grandma died and her boyfriend disappeared years ago.
The setting is creepy (foggy lake, creepy old house, small-town secrets), and the mystery kept me hooked. There are plenty of twists, and just when you think you’ve figured it out—nope!
I really enjoyed this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, for an advanced copy, for an honest review.

Harper Reed returns to her grandmother's private island because of her fathers heart attack, she knows her reception isn't going to be a welcome one. Tragedy seems to follow her family and she's sure her old friends remember the night her boyfriend Chase disappeared. Now she's back to inherit the island and decide what to do. Then Chase's mother meets a horrifying end and her dying words to Harper are bitch.
I love Lisa's books and this is no exception but I did find it too wordy and repetitive for my tastes but still the story is a good read. Thanks Netgalley and Kensington Publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

I want to thank Kensington Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC copy in exchange for my review. This is another thriller/mystery from Lisa Jackson that will keep you guessing throughout. This is told in two timelines, twenty years apart. A group of neighbors friends and family live in beautiful houses along this large lake. Their children all grow up together, and it seems like life would be great. Unfortunately, it is anything but. For the span of twenty years, there are lies, infidelity, betrayals, and deaths, which could be accidents, suicide or murder. There are plenty of twists and turns you won't see coming as well as a few surprises at the end. Like all of Lisa Jackson's books, this one is enjoyable and definitely worth reading

Lisa Jackson, It Happened on the Lake, Kensington Publishing|Kensington, June 2025.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

It Happened on the Lake follows the well-worn theme of a woman returning to her inheritance and secrets from the past being canvassed anew. There is a cast of unpleasant characters, and even Harper, the main protagonist, is not exempt. Several deaths or disappearances have taken place in the past, and Harper has been in the vicinity of each. In the present she is again a spectator at a gruesome death. Men from her past make contact, one in his capacity as a police officer, another as a possible contractor to bring the huge house Harper has inherited to a standard for selling. That is, if Haper succumbs to the pushiness of her real estate friend, or is she a friend?

Initially I felt that Lisa Jackson had done far more with this theme and cast than had been done in similar novels. Certainly, the mysteries and tension came thick and fast. No character seemed exempt from suspicion, and the threads from the past seemed worth following to a conclusion. However, the pace of the book slowed markedly and Harper’s ruminations, the back stories of her friends and the investigation of the current death became almost tedious.

Various devices are used to create tension – the secrets, past and present relationships, bats, cats - missing and dead, a skeleton under furniture, and dolls – reminders from the past, and changing locations in the present. Is the house really secure even when the locks have been changed? What is the significance of a missing revolver? What is the significance of the vintage cars? The tram from the top of the hill? The elevator that no longer works? As multiple as these devices are, the prolonged and repetitious writing about them dulls the impact. And here we have the problem with this novel – it is too long, too repetitious and, when I had finished it, I regretted having made the effort to do so. The resolution is weak and, unfortunately, the characters remaining have become only slightly less unpleasant.

This was a difficult read for me - too long, too rambling and too repetitive. I thought the premise of the story would be interesting but it was covered with many extra words that distracted from the core. I have enjoyed Lisa Jackson books in the past but found this one to be less exciting and dynamic than usual.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC

Received as an eARC from NetGalley

This was a tough read for me. I felt it was too long with unnecessary repetition. For me, it didn’t get good until close to the end. The unfolding of the storyline was good, the thrill was there. But leading up to that, it was like reading in circles.

This was a twisty, wild ride with lots of creepy turns between Harper's past and present. I enjoyed the storyline with the plot twists, but the book was way too long and seemed to drag on and on. Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own. Rating 3.5 stars Expected Publication Date: June 24, 2025

This was a well written suspenseful mystery with lots of twists. Spanning years it swaps back and forth in time when strange things start happening around the lake house.
There was a large cast of characters. This author always brings that creepy factor that will give you chills and thrills.

A big thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I felt like this book was good, but so long and repetitive throughout. I wish it was a little shorter and more concise because the overall story was a good one. A little disappointed by this read.

Harper, in three different time periods (1960, 1968 and 1988) experiences loss and grief. In 1988 local police decide to take another look at the deaths which somehow happen around Harper. Many family secrets and tragedies are associated with Harper’s family, which the reader slowly finds out. This was a long read, and truthfully my attention wavered .. too many descriptions that, in my opinion, were not necessary.

This is genuinely the worst book I have ever read. The main character, Harper Reed Prescott, is such a Mary Sue! She is unlikeable with no personality and 0 friends. There was not one part of the book where I enjoyed reading her POV. The mystery of Chase was uninteresting, and it felt impossible to invest myself in it. I would never, ever recommend this book to anybody.

This book should come with a warning: fasten your seatbelts, because this is a wild ride! Complex emotions, secrets, family dysfunction, and a very tangled web of deceptions fill the pages of this tense and fast-paced thriller. Throw in this super creepy, atmospheric setting and you have all the makings for a cozy night in. You’re going to want to leave the lights on though, because frightening things lurk in the dark.

My only complaint is that I think the book was a bit too long. It seemed repetitive at points, and I think it could be tightened up by about 50 or so pages without losing any critical elements in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ebook ARC!

Another page turner from Lisa Jackson. Harper, after some personal setbacks, returns to her childhood home, an estate she recently inherited. The ghosts from her past start resurfacing and nothing is what it seems. As the danger mounts, will Harper figure out everything before it’s too late. The only issue I had with the book was all the flashbacks, but other than that, loved it. Thanks to NetGalley for the copy to review.

3.5 stars

It Happened on the Lake is my first Lisa Jackson book. It was quite a ride, so many moving parts, dual timeline 1968 and 1987, multi points of view, not boring in the least.

Here is where I removed 1.5 stars: while this book had loads of twists and turns and a very interesting plot, it was also very badly in need of some serious editing. Repetitive, rambling, some retro phrases used back to back for different things when a fresh saying would have worked better, wrong verb tenses, Rand's stepfather Kent is called Keith, etc. This book feels like a first draft that hasn't been polished, should be about 100 pages shorter, and some of the points needed to be reinforced in order to make a bigger impact instead of just coming as an afterthought. Trick's very existance in this story was rushed and didn't sit well. This book could have been so much fun if it was edited properly.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

A vanished beau, a deceased brother, grandmother and mother, and the common denominator is Harper.

When Harper returns after decades away to claim the estate that was left to her, former accidents and tragic events come to light to be re-examined.

A slow burning thriller that weaves a wild tale and flashes between the past and present.
Pros: tons of secrets hidden by each of the characters
Cons: definitely a slow burning thriller, so have patience.

Hits Shelves June 24th !


Thank you #NetGalley and #KensingtonPublishing for the ARC of #ItHappenedOnTheLake.

This book was disappointing. It was entirely way too long. There was so much repeating, it's almost felt like the author didn't even realize she'd covered the ground already. It has a potential to be a gripping story, but I think at least 100 pages could probably be cut. It was a very, very slow read for me as well.

Thank you to Net Galley and Kensington Publishing for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Harper, a member of a family who owns an island on a lake inherits an ancient house that is riddled with secrets and bad omens. Like the house, Harper has her own troubled past, but as an adult, she's finding out things were not what she was told all those years ago. I loved the tension and the gradual unfolding of characters' secrets. I also loved the setting and the ability Harper had to see into other character's homes with a high-powered telescope. I recommend this book. I obtained this book through Net Galley and have left an honest review.

This book gripped me right from the very beginning and kept me hooked through out, I couldn't put it down. There was a good amount of twists that kept me guessing and I loved the setting. I really enjoyed it

Lisa Jackson has written many books. I've read a few of them and most were quite good. I hate to admit that I really struggled with this one. The description and foreplay I created in my head when requesting this ARC was what I love in thrillers. Spooky scenery, secrets, unexplained deaths, whodonit...it's what I live for when I read. However, the back and forth between past and present, different decades, too many characters to keep straight was just too much work and not enough enjoyment. Perhaps I wasn't in the right mindset to concentrate on this one, but was just not what I expected which left me a bit disappointed.

More like 2.5 stars. I’d like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I have always loved Lisa Jackson’s books but unfortunately I couldn’t get into this one at all. The premise sounded really good but it was so slow and probably could’ve been a few hundred pages less than it actually was. I still can’t wait for her next book and to see what she comes up with next.